Sick and Twisted
by Bittah
Summary: This is a modern fic. Set in Brooklyn, where most of the students come from broken homes. There's sex, violence, drug use and all sorts of fun stuff in it. Bad summary, but oh well. Read it, love it.
1. The Conlon Household

Disclaimer: I don't own disney's characters… and I don't own the listee's respective characters. I own… Melody and other characters to come later.

I am using real names so … I'll post who characters are at the beginning of each chapter…

Ethan "Spot" Conlon

Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

**Sick and Twisted**

"C'mon Ethan, we're gonna be late for school again!" Melody's voice screamed over the loud noise of back beats and strands of random music. There was some rustling coming from the other side of the door and then the music blared louder. Melody pounded her fists on the door. "Turn the fucking techno off and open the goddamn door!" her usually sweet voice turning into a ragged scream.

To Melody techno was the worst kind of music, if it could be classified as music. Sweet silence came and then the door swung open. The blonde hair on her brother's head was ruffled into a mess of short curls and the bags under his dangerous blue eyes seemed to have grown darker overnight.

Looking his sister over, he scowled. "You are not leaving this house wearing that." Melody's medium frame was clad in a form-fitting black lace corset, her large breasts overemphasized and her tight low rider jeans revealing barely an inch of skin. She rolled her eyes and shoved the door of her room open, which was opposite of Ethan's.

Reappearing with a ratty black hoody, she pulled it on and zipped it up all the way over her overflowing bosom. "Better?" she asked with a smirk. Ethan nodded sleepily and headed for the bathroom.

Melody wasn't one to let people control her. She would have never covered up if she thought he wasn't serious. Ethan had many times sat in their old '85 Honda Civic with the doors locked, not letting her in until she was "dressed properly" as he so fatherly had put it. Being the only man in the house as of late, Ethan had quickly taken on an annoyingly father-like role when it came to his younger sister; at least she thought it was annoying. Their mother was always working double shifts and whenever she was home, she was sleeping, leaving the two teenagers free to do pretty much whatever they wanted.

The sound of the shower running determined Melody's fate of being late to school again. She dragged her black Converse All-Star clad feet back to her bedroom and paused in front of the mirror. Melody had the curse of a well toned figure and a pretty face to go with it. Today was one of the few days she showed it off. She didn't like dressing normal, so she showed off in her own fashion. Her hair was cut short and dyed blue, always spiked upwards to perfection. If she wasn't wearing corsets, fishnets and the like, she was often found in a simple black t-shirt and jeans. She paused to finger the large silver cross that hung around her neck. Sighing, she fell back onto her messy bed. It was just going to be one of those days.

-

Tapping her foot impatiently, a taller looking girl with dark features leaned up against a locker. Not her own, and everyone could tell that by the pissed off look she had on her face. The first bell rang and she slammed her fist into the locker besides her.

"Hey! Calm down Jo," a masculine voice said.

"She's late again Matt! I'm gonna kill that druggie brother of hers! The last thing she needs is another detention, which means another suspension, 'cause she swears she'll never go to detention!" It was enough to make Josephine bang her head backwards against the locker. Melody and Josephine were inseparable, the best of friends and a quirky pair of girls. Floaters, they reeked havoc every chance they got and there was quite a reputation behind the duo.

Matthew put his hand behind her head so she couldn't bang her head anymore. Having him so close, Jo took advantage of the situation and gave him a kiss that was so heated it fogged up his glasses. She pulled away without warming and smirked at him. "Classtime!" she explained and the couple parted their ways.

-

Thirty minutes and the sound of running water had not yet ceased. Melody turned on her side and stared at the alarm clock next to her bed. 8:15. Chemistry had started 15 minutes ago. She pushed herself up and stomped over to the bathroom door. "If you don't get your ass out of the shower this minute I'm not only going to drive to school without you, but I will also dispose of all the weed you have hiding under the driver's seat!" Melody threatened, kicking the door.

The water stopped running instantly and a moment later the door swung open and a very wet, very naked Ethan stepped out. "How did you know about those?" Ethan asked, voice full of concern and annoyance.

"I ain't blind and I sure as hell ain't stupid Ethan," Melody said as she rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I know about all the other drugs you keep in your room too! I know why you do it Ethan, but it's still not right… it can't replace her y'know?"

Ethan's jaw dropped and he shook his head. "We're not discussing that right now."

"C'mon Ethan. I'm 17. I'm not you innocent little sister anymore. You can tell me these things. I may look the other way when you do this things, to the reason why, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on!"

Not knowing how to react, Ethan just shut his mouth and went into his room to change. He came back out in a black Nirvana t-shirt and dirty jeans. "Do you have soccer practice today?" he inquired, avoiding the earlier topic. He grabbed his books and shoved them into his bag as he spoke, avoiding her eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm walking home again, unless you're picking me up?" Melody knew what he would be doing while she was at practice, so the shake of his head was no surprise.

"You got your knife?" Ethan's eyes flashed up at her as he grabbed his keys.

"It's only a few blocks!"

"Do you have your knife?"

"It won't even be dark out yet…"

"Do you have your knife?" Ethan was losing his temper and he grabbed her by the shoulder bringing her face to his.

In a flash, Melody's hand was at her pocket and only seconds later the butterfly knife was flipped out and pressed against his throat. Her breath was heavy and her hand shook ever so slightly. There was even a trace of tears lining her green, emotion filled eyes. "See… I have my knife," her voice was raspy and she flicked it shut, pushing past him and out through the door.

"Melody… I didn't mean to…" Ethan started, but she was already out of earshot and halfway down the stairs.


	2. Boy Situation

Ethan "Spot" Conlon

Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Luck was on their side and they pulled in just as first period ended. Melody grabbed her black, button covered bag and slammed the car door shut. She hurried inside, leaving her brother a good few yards behind her.

Once she safely passed the dean's office, Melody pulled off her hoody and slung it over her side-strapped bag. Classes poured out into the hallways and the first of many catcalls and hollers sounded as she walked through the torrent of teenagers. Unhappy girlfriends elbowed their respective boyfriends and Melody indulged in her urge to purr and wink at a few of them.

She had the reputation of being a slut, despite the fact that she barely dated, nonetheless slept around. The only person who had tried to suppress the rumors was Ethan. Melody called it "overprotective brother syndrome," and often suggested he should see a shrink for it. He was the reason she didn't have a boyfriend, at least to his knowledge.

Only two people knew about the odd situation, one of them being directly in front of her. "Jo!" Melody smirked as she spotted the ill-tempered girl pacing in front of her locker. Jo looked up and glared behind her, waiting for Ethan to appear as well.

"Where's the rat bastard that earned you another detention?" Jo growled, straining her neck to try to see through the crowd and find him.

"Calm down Jo," Mel laughed, flicking at the beanie hat that Jo always wore, making it spin around.

"Well, he's got to come to his locker sometime, and when he does…" she cracked her knuckles impulsively.

Melody rolled her eyes. "Don't threaten what you won't go through with…" Out of all the things she hated, she hated having a locker next to her brother the most. Even though she was a year younger, she was in the same grade as Ethan. It had been that way since middle school when she skipped 5th grade.

It had been quite a while since her many admirers had given up on swooning her at her locker. In fact, it was hard to do it anywhere. Even if Ethan was not there, he would find out about it and many of the guys came home with black eyes and bloody lips. There was only one she protected from her older brother. Travis O'Connell. He was new to our high school, beginning only two weeks after the school year started. He had long black hair that fell around his pale face, obviously a dyed color and striking brown eyes that were always just barely open.

Someone probably should have warned him, everyone knew he had a thing for Melody. Lunch was their only class together but it seemed that they bumped into each other a lot in the hallways. It was cute how shy he was at first. How he tried to warm up to her friends first and work his way into their small little group. Of course Mel's friends had the characteristics of being fairly crude when it came to someone barging in on their small group.

Melody noticed of course, but tried to ignore it. She had those sudden pangs of loneliness when he wasn't around and he was constantly in her thoughts. She knew better, she knew she couldn't let her brother know about this one. The rest were just pawns. Cute little playthings she didn't mind watching her brother torment until they disappeared.

There were the notes. They were random at first, showing up maybe once a week. They consisted of small little poems, always dark but beautiful, proclaiming love in unique way. The ominous swooshing of his trench coat always turned her head and that's when Ethan began to notice. He was constantly at his locker, waiting.

The mishap came on Melody's part. It was one of the few times she didn't wait until Ethan wasn't at his locker. She opened up and a single sheet of paper fell to the ground. Oblivious to that happening, she kept gathering her things. Through the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan kneel down to get something. The glare her brother gave the sheet of paper revealed what he had just read.

"Who wrote this?" his voice was a growl.

Melody snatched it out of his hands and glared at him. "That is none of your business…" She realized her mistake right away. The letter didn't have her name on it or his; she could have claimed it wasn't even hers.

Ethan wouldn't drop it and he took a lot more notice on who talked to her and later on she found that he was harassing some of her close friends for information. It was Evelyn who first let Mel know about the harassment. He wasn't stupid enough to ask Jo for information.

Melody was dressing for gym when her friend approached her. Her short, once auburn hair had chunks of purple dyed into it and it was cropped shorter then the day before. Her deep auburn eyes glinted in the dim light, revealing the strange violet glow around her pupils. They may have all had to dress the same in gym class, but Evelyn had made sure to crop the shirt and ride the shorts down low to reveal all four of her tattoos. On the front of each of her hipbones were black pistols and on the sides of her hips two phrases. The left side said "I'm staying alive," and the right side said "The worst is over."

"Evelyn," Melody said, nodding at the girl as she pulled on her gym shirt.

"Your hott, but yet annoying brother has been asking after someone who's been sending you love notes. I suggest you tell him to stop bugging your friends or I may just stop sleeping with him…" Evelyn smirked at thought of her ever stopping her sexual escapades with her friend's older brother.

"That bastard's been bugging you about that?" Melody's eyes rose as she stopped tying her black Chucks.

"Yes, and not only me, mind you…" Evelyn said pointedly.

"Vinny?" Melody's voice was a choked whisper, as if she had just swallowed a piece of bread whole.

"Yep… and you'll never guess what she spilled to your brother…" Evelyn was almost as pissed off as Melody was about the whole situation.

The sound of Melody's fist slamming into the locker echoed through the now empty locker room and there was blood all over her knuckles. "Nurse time…" Evelyn said, knowing Melody's plan.

Conveniently, Ethan was where she knew he would be; Travis's locker. With blood dripping over her knuckles and her loose gym suit on, she jumped on her brother's back. His grip on her lover's shirt was loosened and he fell to the ground with a grunt, his sister right under him, holding him on top of her with a death grip.

"Go to class Travis…" she tried to force a smile as Ethan attempted to wretch free of her hold. She had the unfortunate luck of having a pacifist for her new love interest and she knew that Ethan would tear him up if he got to him.

"Let me go…" Ethan growled and she obeyed once Travis was safely down the hall and off to class.

Melody got up and dusted off her dust covered gym suit and then glared at her brother. "You need to mind you own business, Ethan Conlon, or I may just have to kick your ass…" Melody's voice was anything but friendly and she placed her hands on her hips. She meant every word of it.

He held up his hands and shook his head. "I'm just protecting you, baby sister…"

That was all Melody needed to hear to get her agitated. She shoved him up against the locker and pulled on his hair, slamming his head back hard into the locker. "I do not need your fucking protection! I'm not Charity y'know! I can handle myself. I'm not going to die if you let one guy touch me! And if you ever touch Travis again, I'm leaving… I'll not only kick your sorry ass, but I'll fucking up and leave. You hear me!" Melody screamed at him, her voice screeching with the pain that had overcome her.

Ethan just shook his head. "I don't want him near you, understand. I won't touch him, but he is NOT going near you…"

Melody just shook her head. Then she did something she never thought she would. She compromised. "Fine," her emotions were overcoming her and she did not want to let her brother see her cry. She let him go and ran to the bathroom. It was only after a good sob did she realize what she had done. She promised her brother not to see Travis, not to encourage his love for her, to let the one guy she ever cared about slip through her fingers.

Minutes passed before Melody realized that Jo was trying to make her snap out of it. The bell sounded, bringing her back to reality and realizing she was already seconds late for class. "Shit! See ya later Jo!" and with that said, Melody ran off.


	3. The Demise of Charity Revealed

Ethan "Spot" Conlon

Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

The door was slowly closing as Melody reached her destination and she managed to squeeze through just in time, taking her seat in the back. She looked around for her small red-headed teacher, but she wasn't there. "Where's Mrs. O'Leary?" Melody asked the girl to the left of her. Crystal Sawyer was a prep, but a smart prep. AP English was the only class she had with the small brunette, and thank god for that.

"She's on maternity leave for the next two months…" Crystal's emerald eyes pierced through Melody, her voice tight with annoyance.

"Be nice Tal, it ain't her fault you forgot to do your homework," a girl on the other side of Melody said. Tal was Crystal's nickname, something only her friends called her.

Amanda Conners was one of Crystal's few friends. She was the happier of the two, always laughing and smiling. Her hazel eyes were inviting and she was known for the blue bandanna that held her shoulder length light brown hair out of her eyes. One of the deans had tried to get her to take it off, seeing as it was a local gang symbol, but everyone knew Amanda was too nice to ever be in a gang. To say the least, he failed miserably in his attempt.

"I hear we have a guy for a substitute these next few months," Amanda's nose wrinkled as she spoke, illuminating the freckles that were scattered across her cheeks.

"Well he's late and in my eyes that's already one strike against him," a boy's nasally voice interrupted from the front of the room. The voice belonged to none other than David Jacobs, head of every geek or nerd club started in the school and the obvious valedictorian of the senior class. His brown locks were slicked back in a ridiculous manner and he wore outdated rhinestone glasses that looked as if they were invented way before David was born.

The door opened and an older man in his late forties walked in. "Hello class," he smiled as he spoke, dodging the eyes of the prying teenagers. He walked over to the desk and gently rested his briefcase on it. Removing his black jacket, he scanned the chalkboard, looking for a piece of chalk.

He ran a hand through his brown tresses and found the item he required. "I am Mr. Denton and I will be your teacher for the rest of the school year," he wrote out his name as he spoke. Written on the board was a simple, "DENTON" in scratchy letters.

A shiver ran up Melody's spine as he spoke, but no one seemed to notice the strange air about their new teacher. After a few minutes, the feeling had left and Melody began to think she might still enjoy English even with her favorite teacher out for the rest of the year.

They were about to begin a set of Shakespearean poems when the door creaked open again and Melody's least favorite person popped his head in the door. Dr. Snyder – Head Dean of the crummy Brooklyn high school. How he ever got his doctorate in anything but torturing teenagers was beyond Melody. She sunk in her chair, knowing why he was there.

"Melody Conlon," his voice broke through the sudden silence like a bullet hitting glass. A snarl dominated his features as his beady eyes spied her. She was glad she had pulled the zipper of her hoody up all the way, covering every inch of bare skin that the corset exposed. She stood up and gathered her things quietly.

Ignoring the stares of the goody-two shoes surrounding her, Melody found her way to the door and she followed behind the sniveling Head of Deans to his office. Without even being asked to, Melody took a seat opposite his desk and crossed her arms. "Yes?" she asked as he sat himself, looking like he was waiting for her to speak first.

"Any good reason to why you ditched first period again?" Snyder asked, pulling open a drawer and bringing out a pad that was covered with red sheets.

"My brother was running late again," Melody said, not as an excuse but as a piece of information.

"You could have walked," Snyder said, scratching out a date and a name on the piece of paper. All Melody did in response was shrug. He tore the sheet of paper and handed it to her.

"This is the third time, you get a Saturday. This Saturday…" Snyder pointed out the date, the time and location of where it would take place.

Melody's jaw fell open and she just glared at him. "Can I do it another Saturday?" she asked through gritted teeth. She would have never stooped to this low of begging, but she could not go on Saturday. She didn't want to go either way, but if she got another suspension she might face being expelled.

"No." he said flatly, getting up and opening the door.

Rage overflowed Melody and she ripped up the sheet of paper. "I will not be attending then…" she locked her jaw and started to walk through the door. His hand locked on her arm and her she turned her head, eyes wide and she shrugged her arm out of his grip.

"If you touch me again, I will break your jaw…" Melody began, but was interrupted by a secretary.

"Sir… Ethan Conlon is here to see you," the small old lady stated politely, scurrying off again in fear of Snyder's reaction. He was not one to be interrupted.

The icy coldness of Ethan's blue eyes flickered between the two. "What is the problem here?" his voice sounded authoritatively.

"You're sister refuses to accept her punishment," Snyder said, "If her disobedience continues she will face being expelled."

Tears had been forming in Melody's eyes, her vibrant green eyes clouding over in a stormy grey color. Ethan's hand touched her arm gently, but she still pulled away from him. "I will not sit in school for four hours on the day our little sister died!" She pushed past both of them and ran out of the office, her sobs echoing through the empty hallways as she ran to her sanctuary.

The large doors to the auditorium were open like always and Melody crept through the shadows and up a set of stairs opposite the stage. The sound booth was never locked and the only time it was used was during play rehearsals or actual plays. She was safe there anytime of the day. Only one person knew it was her sanctuary. It was their sanctuary: Travis's and hers.

Time stood still as she sobbed silently, she curled up in the corner, her knees to her chest and her head buried in her arms. It could have been seconds, minutes, or hours, but time didn't matter. The tears kept coming and she could not stop them. April 2nd, last year. That date kept haunting her, following her in the shadows and creeping up to surprise her with unwanted tears.

It wasn't just one person Melody had lost. The memories that came with that day made her stomach twist and she tried to will them away but they came all the same.

A day no different then any other it had started out. First they went to school and then came home to the mess that was their lives. It was Charity's last year of middle school and she was blooming into a beautiful young woman. She had strawberry blonde hair that reached her waist with a natural streak of brown on one side and on the other a dyed black streak that hit her chin. She had the same striking Conlon eyes and fitting facial features. She was the thinnest of them, never eating more than they could afford and burning it off just as easy with her high metabolism.

She was quite a character and always dressing eccentrically, something Melody was proud of her for. She was friendlier than both Melody and Ethan and gained friends easily. They were never around though. In those days they weren't allowed to bring people over and for good reason.

Today was Friday, payday. That's when shit went down. Their mom was only working one job back then and she never made enough; at least, not enough for her husband. That day it got out of control.

_All three of us came home from school together. We knew just to go straight to our rooms and hide out until Dad was off to work at 5 pm. That's when it was safe. Safe to talk, breathe, and fix our mother's new bruises and cuts. _

_It was different lately because Ethan was at his part time job at a coffee shop close by. When we got there it was quiet; unusually quiet. I motioned for Charity to go to her room and I crept down the hall and listened. Nothing. "Mom," my voice was meek and I knocked on the closed door. _

_A moan sounded and I heard my dad yelling suddenly. I stepped back from the door as he swung it open. "Go to your room!" he hollered. I could see past his enormous form and I saw my mother, in a pile of her own blood on the floor. _

_When I didn't move, he shoved me hard against the wall. I fell against something and I felt pain in my head. I reached my hand behind my head and there was blood. The door slammed again and he was gone. Charity stood there, like a little angel, trying to talk to me but I couldn't hear a word she said._

_"Call 911," my request was intended to be soft-spoken but I could barely hear the words come out nonetheless the fact that I had shouted._

_Out came my father in all his rage and he grabbed Charity by her long hair and into the bathroom they went. The toilet kept flushing, that little I could hear. My ears seemed as if they were filled with water and I found my strength to get up. I knocked something over and by God's good grace the cordless phone fell right at my feet. _

_I tried to kick at the door as I dialed the three numbers. I must have been screaming again, this time into the phone and the bathroom door opened. I didn't see him; I must have blanked him out. All I saw was her limp body, bent over the toilet, her head face down in the toilet. _

_Pain overcame me and her dead body was the last thing I saw before the paramedics pulled me back into a conscious state. Ethan said I was sobbing the second my eyes opened, but I don't really remember much after that. Poor Ethan…he couldn't do anything._

There was a flood at her feet by the time Travis arrived. At least one period must have passed while she was sitting there. His mouth dropped open and he did the best thing he could at the moment. He knelt down and scooped her into his arms, letting her bury my head in his chest and sob. "Charity…" it was the only word she said as he held her.


	4. Cards and Hickies

Ethan "Spot" Conlon

Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Ethan Conlon was Dr. Snyder's match. He would not sit when he was told and would always reply in a polite but short manner. "There is a problem with her serving that this Saturday, and I would like it if you would give her the choice to take it the one after this," Ethan's eyes glared evenly with Snyder's.

"That is not doable," Snyder replied. "You have detention after school may I remind you Mr. Conlon," Snyder grabbed the pad and scratched out the time and date of the detention.

"Listen to me Snyder, our sister Charity Conlon died a year ago, the day her Saturday is to take place, and I suggest that you reconsider before I have to get my mother involved in this," Ethan knew this was of no concern to the head of deans, but it was worth a try.

Snyder's face suddenly looked up, a lopsided grin overcoming his face. "Oh yes, I remember now. One year ago your wretched father took it upon himself to kill his youngest daughter. Rotting in prison now if I'm correct?" Snyder turned his head to the side slightly, observing Ethan as he clenched his fists together in an attempt to remain calm.

"Will you reconsider?" Ethan asked again through his grinding teeth.

"Fine, it's moved back to the Saturday after," Snyder said, writing out another red slip and tearing it off. "Make sure your lovely sister gets this…" Snyder smirked with a wink.

Ethan raised his fist, but thought better of it, grabbing the piece of paper and hurrying out the door. "I've got my eyes on you Snyd!" he shouted as he left. When he was a good distance away from the administrative offices, he kicked a locker and growled out loud. "Bastard," he muttered, turning and flicking off the empty hallway.

It was the middle of third period by the time Ethan had left to go back to class. Gym class was the only class Ethan had with his younger sister, but he didn't expect to see her there today. It was too late for him to dress and he ignored the glare he received from Mr. Richards as he headed towards the old stage in the front of the gymnasium. "Melody's in the nurse's office," Ethan said as he pulled himself onto the edge of the old stage.

"She'll need to bring a note to me next class," the teacher replied gruffly. Ethan made a note in his head to convince the young school nurse into getting a note for Melody. That would be easy enough for the studly, influential Ethan Conlon.

Two other boys were seated on the opposite side of the stage and it was the flash of cards that caught Ethan's attention. Anthony Higgins and Michael Dolson were gambling away what little pocket change they had. "You want in Conlon?" Michael called when he spotted Ethan.

Ethan jumped to his feet and headed over, a smirk planted on his face. "Only if I can bet for a go with your hott little sister." Christina Dolson was a good-looking girl. Standing an average height of 5'5", her body was blessed with perfect curves. Her hair fell just below her shoulders, a gorgeous deep amber color and her eyes dark brown. If her good looks didn't make guys gape, her beautiful voice definitely drew them in.

"You wish!" Michael laughed as Ethan took a seat. "Plus she's got a boyfriend now."

Anthony scowled at his cards and threw them down. "Yeah that prissy boy Jonathan Lawson. I don't know why you let that asshole ask your sister out in the first place." Jonathan Lawson was part of the popular crowd. Being Mitchell Houge's (the head hunk of the school) best friend and co-captain of almost every sport played, he was a well-known guy. He was a towering six feet, with light brown hair, the edges tipped with bleach and standing two inches above his head spiked. He was one of those guys you could classify as "Metro-sexuals". In other words, he was a pretty boy. In the eyes of many senior girls, he was a prize of a boyfriend.

Michael held up his hands in protest. "Hey now, first of all, I ain't got nothing against the guy, and second she can take care of herself." He ran a hand through his black hair and threw down his cards. "Royal flush. I win."

Anthony groaned with defeat. "Fine, but you're buying me lunch!" he smirked.

Michael chuckled, gathering up the spare change and crumpled dollar bills. "Deal…"

Anthony turned his attention to Ethan. "Saw that seductive number Melody was wearing this morning. Where is she by the way?" Anthony teased, turning to look for her and dodging Ethan's open hand.

"C'mon Ethan, when are you going to let her date one of us?" Michael chimed in on the teasing.

Ethan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "She ain't ever dating either one of you idiots, she told me so herself," he replied, trying to let his solemn mood lighten.

"Like you'd let her even if she wanted," Anthony smirked, getting to his feet as the gym emptied into the locker rooms. "You're quite the big bad wolf around here Ethan. I still can't believe you threatened Mitchell Houge when he asked her to go to a party with him."

"Though I must say, Melody did get some amusement out of that whole situation," Michael added. "There's one thing you two have in common and that's your extreme hatred for the popular kids."

"Well that ain't true," Ethan smirked. "I still haven't soaked you have I?" That elicited a chuckle from all three of the boys and as the bell rang; they all went their separate ways.

Melody was so out of it, she didn't notice Travis's change in appearance until she went to run her fingers through his once long, black hair. The soft inch of hair that was left bristled over her sensitive palms and caused her to look at him for the first time that day.

Her grey eyes began to fill back up with sparks of blue and she attempted a smile. He leaned down and kissed her last tears off of her cheeks and gave her a warm smile back. "Like the new haircut?" his low, quiet voice inquired.

A small nod and her lips were on his, drawing his body closer. She inched her body lower, pulling him on top of her while she lay on the cold cement. He dared not to part his lips from her, his tender hands unzipping her hoody. A hand ran down the rough material of the corset hugging her curves and his soft lips now caressed her bare neck. Their fondling did not last long though, for it was cut short by the ring of the bell.

Travis halted his sweet kisses and rose to his feet. He held out a hand and helped Melody up, pulling her into one last kiss. "Farewell my love," he spoke and then disappeared into the dark shadows engulfing the theatre.

Melody gathered her things and headed off to the cafeteria. Pushing her way through the strong wave of rowdy teenagers, she strained her neck to find a familiar face. Spying two familiar figures lounging at a table in the back corner, she headed towards them.

The younger of the two sitting jumped up suddenly and her hands began waving around as she tried to yell over the noise of the cafeteria, and it was obvious she was telling a story. "And then this guy had the nerve to push some small kid over and you know me, I brought out my fists and pounded the bastard's head in. Serves him right for acting that way in a mosh pit! You're supposed to look after the small ones, make sure they don't get pulled under and crushed to death!" Tobi kicked the chair in defiance.

"Talking about the Anti-Flag concert last weekend still?" Melody laughed, placing a hand on the 16-year-old's shoulder. Tobi Jones was the youngest of their tough group of girls. She was a tall pale girl of average build with striking long black hair. Her oddest feature was the different colors of her eyes, her left being green and the right blue. She was your normal punk, never leaving home without her black band t-shirt, torn old jeans, a pair of Chucks that varied in color each day, and her thick-rimmed black glasses which Mel always teased her about, saying they were "emo-kid" glasses.

"Hey Mel! You just missed the best part of the story!" Tobi said.

"Yeah but we've all heard it 20 times already," Robin said, who was the unfortunate recipient of Tobi's yelling. Her dark green eyes flashed to Melody and she blew her strawberry blonde bangs out of her eyes. She tilted her head and looked strangely at her friend.

Robin stood and walked over to Melody. Now Robin was a busty girl with small hips and long legs. She was a good looking girl and one of Ethan's prized fuck buddies. It was odd how Melody could stand her brother having intimate relationships with a good portion of her friends. Robin grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, away from the table. "What's that?" Robin asked, poking her finger at the side of Melody's neck.

"What's what?" Melody asked, confused.

Robin pulled out a compact from her pocket and flipped it open so that Melody could look in the small mirror. Her mouth dropped as she laid eyes on the still reddened and forming hickey. She put her hand on her neck and looked at Robin in horror. Robin simply laughed and grabbed her arm, dragging her towards the door to the cafeteria. "We'll be back Tobi! Save the table for us!" Robin called as they left for the bathroom.


	5. Rumors

Ethan "Spot" Conlon

Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

Brach "Bumlets" Williams

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi

Liz "Maverick" Connors

"So who's the guy this week?" Robin smirked.

"Brach Williams," the lie floated easily out of Melody's mouth and she felt no remorse for it.

"Oh my god! Are you serious?" Robin squealed. "He's so dreamy!"

"You can have him once Ethan works him over," Melody replied without a care. Her girls were the ones that helped spread her slutty reputation and she had no thought as to letting most of them in on the truth. Yeah, every once in a while the rumors were true, but not often.

Now Brach Williams had been after Melody on and off and she knew that he wouldn't reveal the truth of the situation. The guy was a jerk. Stuck-up and always dressing better than he could afford. He was the closest thing to a rich kid that there was around these parts. Of course what Melody knew that many other people didn't was how he afforded those clothes. He was a dealer. Sweet, charismatic Brach was a pusher.

That was the exact reason why Melody stayed away from him. It was hard to do, seeing that he was her brother's main source of drugs. That would create a very interesting situation for her dear brother when he found out. She was really damn good at keeping Ethan on his toes.

The bathroom that the girls used was a good few minutes walk and in that time Melody indulged Robin with telling her every tiny made up detail of what happened. It would be quite a story once Robin let it spread through the grapevine.

Without even opening the door, the two girls could hear what was going on inside. Muffled screams and cries sounded through the thin walls and Melody smirked as Robin raised her eyebrows and placed her ear to the door. Looking at the clock, Mel spoke up. "Looks like it's time for Evelyn's 11:30 appointment," she chuckled.

A minute later the noises stopped and the door swung open. A satisfied looking boy stepped out. It was Evelyn's favorite fuck buddy: Connor Meyers. His black button down shirt was only half buttoned, revealing his hickey-covered chest. The guy was hott, to say the least. Head lineman of the football team, first basemen on the baseball team, and champ wrestler, he had the body to compensate for all the brain cells he had lost between all the sports he played and all the booze he drank. Evelyn often said, "Well if men think with their dicks, Connor must be the smartest man on earth."

An embarrassing shade of crimson overcame Connor's face as he saw the two girls and he hurried quickly down the hall, ignoring the giggles that sounded after him. When Melody turned her head back to the bathroom she saw Evelyn standing in the doorway with wide grin on her face. "Looks like I'm not the only one who got lucky," she laughed, spotting Melody's hickey.

"C'mon girl let's take care of that quickly so we can get back to eating," Robin said, pulling her into the bathroom. Robin opened her purse and handed it to Evelyn.

Her green eyes lightened as she looked carefully at Melody's neck, inspecting the damage. "Foundation." Robin held out her hand and Evelyn dug through the bag and handed her the bottle. A few seconds of applying wet foundation and she handed the bottle back to Evelyn. "Compact." The items exchanged hands and the small black case was popped open. "Brush."

Melody cringed as the layers of make-up increased. She never wore make up, ever. Now there was a pound just on her neck. Robin squinted at her masterpiece and smiled. "Perfect." Melody took a look in there mirror and realized she was right. The make up was blended perfectly with the color of her neck and no one would be able to tell there was a hickey beneath all that make up.

Lunch was half way over by the time the three girls got back to the cafeteria and the perfect time to get food. They grabbed what they liked and paid, getting back to their seats famished. Tobi now had the company of Tiffany Phillips and Marty Gibson.

Tiff was a flirt first and foremost and a badass. Just a few months older than Tobi she was an attention whore. With shoulder length dark purple hair and light green eyes emphasizing her fair skin and freckled cheeks, her face was her main attraction. Her body was quite thin but no one seemed to get past her vibrant face. She was usually found in her tight hip-hugger jeans and a red spaghetti strap shirt with a faded star in the middle. A plain black choker hugged her small neck and black studded earrings glinted through her mess of dyed hair. Her trademark fuzzy pink scarf came out when the weather was chilly.

Marty Gibson was our local gimp. No one ever really asked how his right leg had gotten to be in such a condition that it forced him to limp and rely on a crutch. He was a punk kid and Tobi's boyfriend. He was well known for helping her out on her fighting mosh pit escapades, his skill of fighting with his crutch helping her out many a time when she was in a tough spot. His curly brown hair was usually spiked up, with only a few curls escaping the rough hold the gel had on his hair. He was often seen in the usual punk get-up with jeans and a band t-shirt and, of course, a pair of Chucks.

The three took a seat and gobbled up their food and their normal discussions of bands, parties, and whatnot took place. Everyone was finished with their food and talking loudly when an Italian girl came over, her mid-back wavy black hair shining in the bright lights of the cafeteria and her large brown eyes sparkling as she smiled. The silver piercing in her right cartilage glinted as she stood at the edge of the table, making all conversations pause momentarily. Vincenza Bellachi was a part of their cliché, but a floater between the group and their former friend Vinny Soprano.

Vincenza tugged at her yellow baby t-shirt which in bright pink letters said, "If you're not cute, I'm not interested." She cleared her voice and smiled awkwardly again as she spoke. "Hey guys!"

Robin was the one to respond first. "Hey Vincenza, how's the weather over by your friend?" she remarked snidely.

Vincenza turned her head to look back at her friend who was sitting alone, picking at her food. Vinny had curly dark brown hair that came to her shoulders and deep aqua eyes. Her Italian heritage was obvious from her olive skin and she was of average height and quite thin. Today she had on a short skirt that showed her long legs that caught most guys' attention when she walked past. "It's just fine," Vincenza replied uncomfortably.

"Oh don't let them bother you any, Vincenza," Melody said. "It isn't your fault Vinny's a traitor and boyfriend stealer."

"I just wanted to let you guys know about the party I'm having on Friday, y'all know where my house is right?" Everyone nodded. "Well, um, hope to see you there!" Vincenza smiled, trying not to seem too uncomfortable. She turned on her heel and walked away, taking in a deep breath.

She couldn't blame them for her and Vinny's isolation. I mean she did chose to stick by her best friend's side even after she backstabbed Melody just to get Travis to be her boyfriend. How she had pulled that one off Vincenza didn't even know, but everything had gone so smoothly for Vinny. No wonder the group didn't like her. The two had been friends for so long that she couldn't abandon Vinny, no matter how she felt about the situation. It was a relief to everyone when the bell rang and the crowded lunchroom emptied in a mob-like manner into the hallways.

Ethan knocked gently on the open wooden door, peering into the small nurse's office and smiling as he spied Liz. Liz couldn't have been more than twenty-two years old and was a natural beauty. Her long auburn hair was pulled back into a messy pony-tail today and her dark blue eyes looked up from her paperwork.

Seeing Ethan she smiled, her freckles wrinkling up with her nose as she did. "What can I do for you Ethan?" she asked, looking down briefly and then back up.

He had the fortunate luck of finding her alone and he shut the door, turning the lock without her noticing. "I need a nurse's note," he said, walking over to her and taking in her beauty. She was dressed normally today in a pair of jeans and a loose white polo shirt. Her curves were barely showing, but it was enough for Ethan to imagine.

"For what Ethan, you look perfectly healthy to me," she smiled, looking him over.

"For my sister Liz, she needs an excuse for missing gym class," Ethan sat on the desk in front of her, brushing against her as he did. She was only an inch from him and he reached out and grabbed her hand gently.

"I can't do you any more favors Ethan," Liz replied, turning away from him as her cheeks burned up. He placed his hands on her hips cautiously, waiting for her resistance as he stood up. None came and he let his lips run against the right side of her neck and then upwards to nibble on her ear.

"How about a favor for a favor," Ethan whispered gently and let his hands slide up under the thin material of the shirt. A soft moan escaped her lips and she nodded. Minutes passed and their clothes had quickly fallen to the ground, a passion arousing in the once passive young nurse as she pushed her naked body against his on the desk she had only had for a few months now.

Ethan was a ravenous but gentle lover, giving her exactly what she needed from him. He could read women that way and that is why it was so easy for him to get so many women. His reputation did not precede him, it was his actions. It was a good ten minutes before her body went limp on his and his hands traced along the smooth skin of her back, both of them breathing rather harshly.

A gentleman always, he helped her dress and fondled her to her liking before she insisted she needed to get back to work, scratching out a note with the appropriate information on it. "Come back soon," she winked, a giggle emerging from her lips as he blew her a kiss as he left.

Ethan was making it back to his locker when the bell rang. "Perfect timing," he smirked. The classes poured out into the halls and he almost ran into Mitchell Houge. He was wearing his usual trademark eye patch and glared at Ethan with his one uncovered eye. "Hey Conlon, I hear you're sister is slutting around again. Wanna know with who?" he taunted, starting to walk in the other direction, walking backwards.

Ethan flicked him off. "Go to hell Mitch," he called.

"I ain't lying, heard it from Robin! She says Mel and Brach are having quite a fling this week!" Mitchell winked at the astounded boy before disappearing into the crowd.

Ethan's jaw dropped and he stood there dumbfounded. She was sleeping with his dealer. No way. His brain was chugging away as his feet carried him to his locker and he began to pace. Thoughts ran through his head a million a minute and he couldn't conclude his means of action. Not seeing even a trace of his younger sister, he opened his locker grabbed a book and slammed it shut. He would just have to deal with this later.


	6. Drawing and Drama

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon**

**Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

**Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon**

**Josephine "Gip" Miller**

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano 

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

Brach "Bumlets" Williams

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi

Liz "Maverick" Connors

Anne "Eire" Foley 

**Kyle "Ice" Romana**

**Belle "Stagey" Malone**

**Jack "Cowboy" Kelly**

**Oscar Delancey**

**Peter "Dutchy" Nelson**

**Catherine "Marsh" Romana**

The only two classes left for the day that meant anything to Melody were Drawing and Drama class. Her time with pencils, pastels, and paper was most treasured. Anne Foley was her silent companion for the fifty minutes of class. Small jokes would crack between the two, some of the latest gossip turned upside down as they drew line after line of vibrant colors.

Anne was a pretty girl, with shoulder length blonde hair, small green eyes and a pale complexion with light freckles dancing along her nose and cheeks. She stood a good few inches taller than Melody, being 5'8" and was thin, but not anorexic skinny. Melody liked her for her confidence; it even showed in the way she dressed. Often times she would be seen in a pair of jeans and a tank top. Her hair was often pulled out of her face and the girl always wore sandals unless it was cold New York weather.

Melody blew the dusty chalk off of her paper even though they weren't supposed to and Anne elicited a yelp as it went all over her things. "Aw Mel you got it on my book," she whined as she dusted off the hard cover copy of Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

"Sorry," Melody said, looking over her drawing of a darkened lake with the moonlight shining on it.

Anne craned her neck to look at her finished product. "Now all you need is a little color," Anne joked.

Melody laughed and shook her head. "Nah, it's perfect." She got up and started cleaning up her mess of charcoal, pencils and pieces of paper. She handed the teacher her drawing just as the bell sounded and she shouted over the noise, "See you tomorrow Anne," and headed out the door.

Melody's fast steps slowed as she spotted her best friend standing on the stairs by the library. She was wringing her red and blue beanie hat in her hands, obviously waiting for Melody to come by. "Mel!" Jo shouted as she spotted her and Melody knew exactly what rumors she had been hearing for the past hour.

"You know Ethan was on my ass all during Economics class and you know what he was asking about don't you? Why the fuck did you have to go and make everyone think you're banging Brach? You knew it was going to get back to your brother, and you know like hell how he acts about this shit," Jo spoke, exasperated and pacing behind Melody as she kept walking towards her next class.

Melody stopped suddenly and turned around. "Because you know who gave me a fucking hickey. The girls had to do a little make over on my neck and well I said the first name that came to my lips. You know how those girls are!" she explained with a sigh, leaning up against the nearest concrete wall.

Jo just shook her head and placed her beanie cap once again on her head. "Listen; just try not to cause too much more trouble today, okay? I'll see you after school," Jo gave her friend a brief, forced smile and patted her gently on the shoulder.

Melody rolled her eyes and paced forward a few feet, catching the closing door with her foot. "I'll try my hardest. See you in an hour," and with that said, she disappeared into the crowd of students pouring into the arena.

Lights flickered, leaving the many seats of the circular room in dim lighting. Bright lights shone on the middle of the room, where a large circle of floor held one single person. The drama teacher, Medda Larkson, was a washed up soap opera star and a one time showgirl in Los Vegas. Nearing the age of fifty, she still had her good Swedish looks. Her hair was dyed red and made up into curls everyday and she still held her thin shapely body, which made some of the drama guys swoon at her feet. At the beginning of each school year, she re-enacted an old show she did years before, and all the guy seemed to drool over her during the whole thirty minutes of performance.

Melody pulled of her hoody, knowing very well that Ms. Larkson wouldn't care how she dressed. It was hot in that section of the building and beads of sweat were already forming along her forehead. She took a seat in the front, right next to Kyle Romana. He was one of the rare few guys that had an attitude that screamed drama kid. If he wasn't reciting lines from Rent, Newsies, or any other musical, he was running down the halls, screaming that he was free of the nightmare called underwear or swooning random girls in the hallways. The guy was cute to say the least, even if he was a little on the short side, standing at 5'6" and ½. Kyle had dyed brown hair for the upcoming play and dark, almost black eyes.

Another feature of the older boy was that he was quite thin, and there were many rumors that he was anorexic. It did make sense in way, because of his complex and personality being quite feminine at times. He wasn't gay, but he was bisexual. Melody didn't mind one bit, she thought bi people were always more fun anyways.

"Oh my god Melody, you look so hott today!" Kyle exclaimed, turning around as she sat down. "I would so do you if your overprotective brother wouldn't chop my balls off!" Kyle's beautiful face turned thoughtful for a moment. "Of course, it would be fun to have a go with him to!" he smiled broadly, sending a sexy wink Melody's way.

That was one great thing about Kyle: his lack of shame. The boy would say anything that popped into his mind and he couldn't care less what the consequences were. He was absolutely outrageous and everyone loved him for it.

Melody just laughed and took a glance back at the couple that Kyle had been talking to before she had sat down. Jack Kelly was one of the lead drama boys and took the lead role in almost every play. He was known for his love of the West and was often seen wearing a red bandanna around his neck and a cowboy had slung behind him. All his friends called him "Cowboy" for it.

Hanging on his arm was the lovely Belle Elizabeth Malone. Lead girl of virtually every play or musical put on by the school, she was a perfect match for Jack Kelly. Her long brown hair was either perfectly straight or radiantly curly. With pale skin and large brown eyes, she came across as delicate despite her height. She stood just a little bit below her boyfriend's tall stature.

Belle's eyes shied away as Melody glanced at her. The girl always seemed uncomfortable unless she was surrounded by all the drama kids. Melody was one of the misfits in the class, but she didn't mind standing out. After all, wasn't that what theatre was all about?

Melody's eyes drifted across the room and she smiled as she saw another oddball in the group. Peter Nelson was one of the geek squad's proud members, but an avid lover and music, dancing and theatre. He seemed shy in person, but when the blonde-haired, glasses-wearing boy got on stage, he sang and danced his heart out. There was even one time when Melody admired and sought after Peter, but Kyle's younger sister Catherine had already won his heart. Even Melody had to confess that they made a cute couple.

Kyle's sister was an athlete and her diligent responsibility to the track team kept her frame thin and athletic. She had pretty dark brown hair that was highlighted with red streaks and vibrant marsh green eyes. She also had a quirky side like her brother and Melody was always asking her where she had gotten her latest t-shirt, which said phrases like "Happy Beheaded Saints Day" and "Be a Good Cookie and Get Me Some MILK!"

Melody's eyes gleamed past the blonde-haired boy and sent a glare towards her enemy Vinny Soprano, who sat in a solemn, darkened corner. Ms. Larkson started speaking; calling a few students down to enact parts of the plays they were to study the night before. Her mind began drifting; remembering one of the many plays she had seen and suddenly time took her back three years ago.

_Opening night of "Annie" at the local middle school and I was backstage. It was Charity's first leading role and she was almost the age of twelve, her first year at the school and she was the lead: Annie. Having dyed her hair the perfect shade of red the night before, I had barely enough money left to take her to the hairdressers, so I cut it myself. I had years of practice on my own hair, having no extra money to spend on even a simple haircut. _

_I was only two years older than her, but she looked up to me more than even our own mother. I sat in the backroom with her, fixing her curls for the last time before she went on stage. She had been bouncing with excitement ever since our mother dropped us off on her way to work. Her chattering hadn't ceased and I had to threaten to burn her every few seconds to make her sit still. Her clothes hugged her small frame perfectly and I had to admit, she made the cutest little orphan. _

_Ethan was going to come to the show after work. He had some how conned our parents into signing a work permit the day he turned fifteen and hadn't stopped working since he got his first job. "Five minutes!" came the call and I set down the curling iron and smiled at Charity in the mirror. _

_"How do I look?" her face was beaming with joy and she was smiling so broadly I thought her cheeks would burst open. _

_"Beautiful!" I said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Go knock 'em dead kid!"_

_I took my seat a few minutes later, watching as the curtain flew up majestically. Ethan had still not arrived and I momentarily wondered why he was late, but not for long. Charity was absolutely enchanting on stage. Her presence and genuine skill of acting pulled in the audience, her charisma overwhelming the stage and pulling the play together in such a way that I found myself being sucked into the story line. _

_I was so engrossed in the musical that I didn't even notice Ethan had taken a seat next to me. It wasn't until he whispered in my ear that I noticed him. "Mel…" it was soft at first and I turned to shush him. The light was just bright enough to reveal a large bruise covering his cheek. His lips were chapped and lined with blood. His fearful icy blue eyes scared me the most. _

_"Dad drove," his voice was hoarse as he spoke. My eyes widened instantly and I turned to the stage. All the other kids had their attention turned to the right side of the stage and someone seemed to be missing from the scene: Charity. I rose to my feet as I heard my sister's whimpering cries and my father's drunken slurring. _

_Without a thought, I rushed down the aisle and up the steps to the stage, stopping dead in my tracks as I spotted them. Charity was being dragged slowly behind our father, red curls twisted between his fingers as he pulled her towards the door to the stage. Anger and hatred was alive in his icy blue eyes, the ones that all three of us had never been proud to inherit. "None of my kids are gonna dress as whores an' entertain the public!" he slurred. _

_"Dad!" I yelled as I approached, feeling Ethan's presence behind me. A slap from the palm of his hand silenced me from any further speaking, the hit to my temple causing the world to shake around me. _

_"We're leaving!" he growled and I hurried forward as he dropped Charity to the ground. I squeezed her hand tightly as I helped her up, following him out. None of us wanted an extra beating that night. I could hear Ethan's brief apology as we left and the pain in Charity's blue eyes was something I would never forget._

_From then on her plays were kept secret. I was the only one who could attend them without being inconspicuous, but she was pleased with my dedicated presence nonetheless. I was her biggest fan and best supporter and it helped that I could lie my way into heaven if I had to. I protected her from my father's wrath for a long time, but it only took one time for her to be taken from me. _

Oscar Delancy's voice brought Melody back to reality and she saw that the tall, menacing boy's hand was held out to her. "Our turn for improv Mel," he gave her a dashing smile. She took his hand reluctantly and he pulled her onto the stage, beginning quickly in an enchanting improvising of a married, senile couple.

Putting all her energy into a blind, half deaf old woman, Mel found the laughs of the students surrounding her uplifting. Applause sounded around them as they finished and they bowed briefly before taking their seats again.

"You should space out like that more often Mel," Kyle whispered with a chuckle. "Does wonders for your acting!"

Melody smiled at the compliment and whispered back a "thanks." None of them knew why she acted; only Ethan and Jo knew that it was to keep Charity's memory alive to her. To help her remember all the good times they had had together, and to keep away the bad memories.


	7. Detention and Soccer Practice

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon**

**Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon

Josephine "Gip" Miller

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano 

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

Brach "Bumlets" Williams

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi

Liz "Maverick" Connors

Anne "Eire" Foley 

Kyle "Ice" Romana

Belle "Stagey" Malone

Jack "Cowboy" Kelly

Oscar Delancey

Peter "Dutchy" Nelson

Catherine "Marsh" Romana

**Bailey "Irish-Flare" Cadler**

**Kristen "Brownie"**

**Nicole "Jittery" Rullier**

**Taylor "Pie-Eater" McManus**

Ethan waited, watching the seconds hand on the wall clock tick away. _Where the hell was she?_ He slung his heavy backpack over his other shoulder and glared down the emptying hallway. "Looking for me?" a sultry voice purred in his ear.

Warm, soft hands intruded the skin just above his pants and a tongue gently flicked his earlobe. "No Bailey, I wasn't," Ethan said, putting his hands on hers and removing them from under his shirt. He turned around and couldn't help but look her over.

Bailey Cadler was a petite but curvy girl with a beautiful tan complexion, long thick black hair and radiant green eyes. His eyes drifted to her naked mid-drift, her tight black tank top stopping right above her pierced belly button and her bright pink UFO pants hanging low on her curvy hips.

"Have you seen my sister?" he asked after licking his lips. Bailey and Melody were pretty good friends and a part of the same small cliché. The fact that she was one of Ethan's main girls didn't bug Melody one bit.

"Soccer practice?" her eyes danced as a smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

"Bailey…" Ethan started, knowing that she knew quite a bit more than that.

"Well it's obvious she's avoiding you for some reason," Bailey interrupted with a smirk. "Did you take care of Brach already? Or are you still deciding if it's worth losing your drug supplier over?" she teased.

Ethan just scowled in response and looked up at the clock. He was not in the mood to discuss that, well at least not with anyone but his younger sister. "You got detention today?' he asked, searching the halls with his eyes one last time before heading towards the library.

"Of course, when am I not in detention?" Bailey rolled her eyes. She was always getting in trouble and had been the queen of detention for most of her high school career. One of the many legends of Bailey Cadler was the detention orgies that she had supposedly started, if they had indeed ever happened. If you asked her, she wouldn't tell you one way or another.

Bailey tugged at her hemp choker necklace which covered the scar on her neck and her bracelets on her wrists rattled together as they walked. Just outside the library, Ethan stopped and pulled her against him by her hips, looping his fingers in the belt-loops of her pants. "You want to come home with me after detention?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with lust. He leaned down and pulled her lips into a sensual, long kiss, the kind that makes even prudent girls go hormonal.

A deep breath released itself from Bailey's lungs as he pulled back and he knew her answer. "Good," he smirked and pulled her into the library, just in time for detention to begin.

The fresh spring air filled Melody's lungs as she stepped outside, clad in her longer black soccer shorts, hitting almost to her knees, and a loose white t-shirt on. She stretched just outside the door momentarily and took a sprinting run towards her teammates. She slid right into her comrade Kristin, slid-tackling her to the ground. "Hey!" the short brunette cried from the ground as Melody got up, dusting herself off.

Kristin was on the defensive squad like herself, and her position was right in front of her, being one of the full-backs. Melody's position was sweeper. She was the last person before the goalie. She wasn't a good long runner, but was an awesome sprinter, which made her a great sweeper. Her tough muscular legs could get the ball back across enemy lines in one hard kick and her aim was spectacular.

Melody held out her hand to the brunette, ignoring the glare her big hazel eyes were sending her way. "Can you blame me for trying to have a little fun?" Melody gave Kristin a genuine smile. The girl laughed in return and patted her on the shoulder.

"No I guess not," she replied. "Looks like drill time!" she smirked grabbing a soccer ball and hurtling it hard towards Mel's face and laughing as she caught it dead on. "Maybe you should try out for basketball too!" she laughed as she took off down the field, kicking the soccer ball as they started their many laps around the field.

Off to the corner Melody spied the cheerleaders practicing their routine and she turned to Kristin with a broad smile on her face, a very dangerous one. "Oh no Mel… you remember what happened last time…" Kristin started, knowing exactly what she was planning to do.

They split up into partners for passing practice and Melody couldn't help it. She stepped back a few feet and drove forward in a running pace. One. Two. Three. She kicked her leg forward and sent the ball spinning with reckless speed straight for the top of the pyramid the cheerleaders were forming. Melody couldn't help laughing as the pyramid fell apart and the cheerleaders were scattered on the ground. The head cheerleader was holding her head and pointing straight at Melody.

Nicole Rullier was enemy number one when it came to the cheer squad. The girl would not leave Melody alone. Well she did have good cause to dislike the blue-haired girl. Her boyfriend, Taylor McManus, was one of the actual affairs that Melody committed. She wasn't proud about it and when she found out he had a girlfriend while they were sort of 'seeing' each other, Mel was royally pissed.

Melody's mistake in the whole situation was telling Nicole about the whole thing. Her whining, pathetic boyfriend feigned innocence and she believed him! Of course he told everyone else differently, for Melody was quite a prize to be one. He was the few honest ones that boasted about getting her in the sack, and he was the most annoying one in Melody's eyes. He couldn't keep his bloody mouth shut.

Taylor and Nicole was a perfect high school match. Nicole was a tall French girl with a beautifully toned and tanned body. Her hair was long and light brown and she had big brown matching eyes. If she wasn't dressing preppy, she was sexing her look up and often got attention from other guys, which Taylor didn't like one bit. She was pretty friendly, but was known for her temper. Melody and she had gotten into a cat fight right after Mel had confronted her about her boyfriend. The girl packed a good punch but was no match for Melody. Another thing that peeved her off was how Nicole got off with a warning and she got a suspension.

Taylor may have been good eye candy, but he was a total asshole most of the time, at least that's how Melody saw him. She saw the sweetness he poured onto Nicole, but after he seduced Mel into a one night stand, he dumped her just as quick. She should have seen it coming; after all he did run with the popular crowd. Ethan gave him a black eye for it though, it was the one time Mel had confessed the truth to him, and one of the many times she enjoyed watching the guy get a beating.

"Looks like I'm cutting soccer short!" Melody called as the cheerleaders started walking onto the field. She gave a wave to the team and sprinted to the door. They started chasing after her, their little short skirts attracting the attention of the baseball team on the other side of the field and the scene looked hysterical. Mel was in the door and running through the halls before they could find her, darting in and out and knowing very well she couldn't go to the locker rooms to grab her stuff. She was glad she had safely locked all of her things in her locker today. Who knows what crazy cheerleaders would do to her things if she hadn't? She headed down the hall, tugging at her shorts that had ridden up too high and headed towards her sanctuary in the theatre.


	8. Sex and lotsa fighting

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon**

**Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

**Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon**

**Josephine "Gip" Miller**

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

**Evelyn "Hades" Swanson**

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano 

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

**Brach "Bumlets" Williams**

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi

Liz "Maverick" Connors

Anne "Eire" Foley 

Kyle "Ice" Romana

Belle "Stagey" Malone

Jack "Cowboy" Kelly

Oscar Delancey

Peter "Dutchy" Nelson

Catherine "Marsh" Romana

**Bailey "Irish-Flare" Cadler**

Kristen "Brownie"

Nicole "Jittery" Rullier

Taylor "Pie-Eater" McManus

**Christopher "Vice" Miller**

Smoke filled the air of the small messy bedroom. An ashtray held not only the butts of cigarettes but blunts as well. Loud techno music blared from two oversized speakers and if you listened carefully you would be able to hear the moans and grunts of two teenagers indulging in sex.

Tan legs slid against the black sheets of Ethan Conlon's bed. His thin pale frame was arched down into the petite, curvy girl beneath him. Her long thick black hair blended well with the matching dark pillows that she laid her head on.

Ethan ran his hands over her scarred body, pressing his mouth against her neck and moaning as her black manicured nails dug into his back. He bit hard, making Bailey cry out. Her hips pushed upwards and she grasped onto his ass, pushing him deeper inside.

Unable to contain herself, she rolled him over and leaned over his body, pushing him back inside within seconds. She felt his hands glide down her back and he gripped her ass, helping her move on top of him. He grabbed her hair and pulled hard, moving his mouth to suck and bite on her neck and causing her to move faster.

She pulled away as she screamed out his name, her legs slowly decreasing their movement until she collapsed on top of him. His hands roamed freely, catching his breath. They were interrupted by loud pounding fists and Mel's voice screaming over the music.

Pushing Bailey aside gently, Ethan motioned for her to get dressed and turned on the fan automatically, not like it mattered if his younger sister smelled the drugs or not anymore. He pulled on his own clothes and swung the door open, a livid looking Melody glaring at him, her voice still screaming, "Turn down the fuckin' music!"

"Melody…" Ethan started, wanting to bring forth at once the rumors he heard around school, but he didn't have a chance to get one word in.

"Don't you Melody me, Mom is going to be home in a half an hour and the house is a mess, we don't know what we're making for dinner, an' you're fucking Bailey's brains out! Do you see something wrong with the situation, because I sure as hell do!" Melody shouted and then peered past his door, throwing a small smile at Bailey before continuing. "You better get your ass in gear because mom works her ass for us, you hear me?"

"Melody calm down!" Ethan finally spat out, grabbing one of her flailing arms and making her look him in the eye. Her breathing went back to normal and her now grey eyes glared into his. She saw his eyes trail down to her neck and her hand instinctively went up to cover what was showing of the hickey. _Damn soccer practice,_ she thought, realizing the make-up had come off with sweat.

"So the rumors are true!" Ethan's voice lowered to a growl.

"Ethan! Stop overreacting! I'm not a little girl anymore! You can't protect me forever y'know! You can't make up for not being there for Charity by constantly intruding on my personal life!" The words slipped from her mouth before she even thought of the damage it would do.

In one swift move, Ethan grabbed Melody by the neck and pushed her backwards into her own bedroom, shoving her to the ground and slamming the bedroom door shut. "Don't you dare say such things!" Ethan said, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"I know why you've changed Ethan, why you won't let a single guy come near me. You can't keep your emotions bottled up! You can't keep blaming yourself!" Melody continued to yell, getting up from the floor.

"Shut up!" Ethan said, covering his ears and tearing at his hair. He wanted to hit her and it showed. She knew he was better than that, but not when he was like this.

"I will not stand by while you ruin my life, while you stay stuck in the past while I'm trying to move forward! We have to move on Ethan, we have to," she watched as his sadness turned into anger, the same anger that poured out of him every time he found out about one of her new lovers.

His fists came up, but she was ready for it. She caught them in her hands, a lucky guess where he was aiming, and then threw him hard against the wall. Melody brought back her fist and slammed it hard into the wall just inches from her brother's head.

A loud noise sounded, as if someone had fallen down, and it caused Ethan to flinch. "Don't you ever try to hit me again!" Melody spoke through hard, jagged breaths. Bringing her now aching fist away from his head, she stepped back and flung open the door.

Ignoring the look of concern plastered on Bailey's fast, Melody continued down the hall and out the door. She had no thought to the chilly wind and the small revealing top she was wearing. She had no thought to the darkness that was beginning to consume the day.

The darkness engulfed her, but her thoughts weren't on the many creatures of the night, but on the situation that was constantly consuming her. _Why can't he see that I'm suffering as well? Why is he so damn selfish?_ It was driving Melody to madness.

She flexed her hand and pain shot through her hand in almost a comforting way. She could see the circular bruise forming across the knuckles of her ring and pinkie fingers. She didn't know where she was headed, she just kept walking.

Maybe she'd see if Jo was home, but she knew better than that. If her best friend was home for too long, she would end up getting a few extra bruises from her drunken father.

Melody kept walking as she tried to come up with a destination. The cold was beginning to bite at her bare skin and she pulled her arms over her chest, rubbing the goose bumps from her arms only to have them reappear seconds later. She ran through a variety of options, all of the homes of her friends stood out in her mind, but she wasn't in the mood to explain the situation to anyone. Beside Jo, Evelyn was the only one trustworthy in the group and she lived all the way on the other side of town. So Melody just kept walking.

She wasn't planning on returning home until well into the night, if not early morning. She knew the places to avoid, places where gang, creeps and molesters lurked, but she also knew she would eventually catch some attention; she was after all dressed quite scantily. Local cars began to slow as they passed her and greasy faces appeared at the windows, yelling obscenities and suggestive comments.

It was a stupid idea, but Melody dodged into a back alley when she became annoyed with the shouting. It was one of the millions of back alleys found behind street after street of apartments and rundown houses. She pushed her hand into her pocket, gripping the thin wood and metal that made up her butterfly knife. No one followed her, to her relief, and she started to head in the direction of home. She had treaded a good ten blocks from the warmth of her apartment and even though she didn't want to go home, it was the best idea to head there now. Deciding on taking the long way through alleys, Melody began her journey, making sure to head more towards Jo's place then home, which was just a block or two out of the way.

Melody only made it a block down the alley when she heard the echo of footsteps not far behind her. Clutching her knife, which still remained in her pocket, she whipped around. He was on her before she could draw out the weapon and he leapt, sending both of them to the ground. Her head hit the pavement and the heavy weight of the man pressed against her, her arm stuck beneath his knee.

Feeling a weight shift, Melody found her hand freed and she quickly pulled out her knife. The man stood hooded over her and by his heavy breathing and shape, Melody could tell he was an older guy no younger than late thirties. With grace and speed she had the knife flicked open in a second and despite the dizziness that was slowly overcoming her, she took a stab at him. Her target was his knee and she hit it dead on.

The man sunk to the ground with a cry of pain and he was immobile for the time being, but still not far enough away from her to not be a threat. His arm reached out to drive a punch to her skull, but she dodged just in time. She rolled away from him and quickly jumped to her feet, a skill which she had picked up from soccer.

Landing a kick to his nether regions, she found his persistence becoming a serious problem as he reached out again, this time aiming for her legs. Getting a hold of her right leg, he brought her back to the ground, making her hit her head against the pavement again. She kicked backwards at him, clawing at the ground and trying to escape.

"Get off of me!" Melody growled as she landed a hard kick to his shoulder, creating a window of opportunity to escape from him once and for all. She crawled forward quickly and climbed to her feet, running the second she did. She could hear him getting up and limping after her, but she was sprinting away from him with all her strength, ignoring the pain that pulsated through her skull.

Melody ran until she found herself on the steps of the Miller residence. They were one of the few families she knew that didn't live in an apartment, but their house still looked to be as small as her family's three-bedroom apartment. She looked up at the deteriorating wood door from the side walk and breathed in a sharp breath.

Melody approached the door and braved a knock. The door swung open immediately and Christopher stood before her, a smirk planted on his face and his blue eyes growing lustful as he looked her over. "Hey Mel, you finally come to your senses and came over for a go with me?" Chris asked cockily, the smell of whiskey prominent on his breath.

"In your dreams…" Melody replied with a glare. "Is Jo home?" she asked, trying to peer past him to find her friend and making sure to keep a good five feet away from the boy at all times.

"Why don't you come inside and check?" Chris suggested, his eyes wandering downwards and he inhaled sharply, as if breathing in her beauty. He stepped outside and attempted closing the distance between them.

"I think I'll come back later.." Melody said, stepping back with every step he took towards her. She turned and hurried down the sidewalk.

"Come and visit me soon you little vixen!" Chris hollered drunkenly after her disappearing figure.

Chris was another reason Melody didn't like going over to Jo's house. He only seemed to do two things with his life after he just barely graduated high school and they consisted of drugs and women. He was a good looking guy, there was no question of that, but Melody just didn't plain like him. He was beginning to turn out like his father and even Jo admitted that her brother was no longer the nice guy he had once been.

Midnight was closing in and Melody knew it was time to get back home. Usually Ethan would have found her by now, taking out the car to find her, but not tonight. The white Honda was parked next to their mom's black 93' Grand Prix. She would be sleeping for a good while by now and wouldn't be waking up until 4 am when she woke up for work. Melody knew Ethan had covered for her; otherwise it was his ass that got punished for it.

Melody and Ethan respected their mother. They knew things had been hard on her this past year, so they did their best to keep things civil around her and make sure not to give her any grief. It was the only time Ethan acted like his old self.

Trudging up the stairs, Melody tried to focus on the pain that was coming from her head, hoping that it might help it dissolve into only a slight headache. She pushed her fingers against her temples and noticed that a sticky red liquid was seeping slowly out from her right one, lining her hair with blood on that side.

It was too late to clean up. Melody was right at the door when she had discovered her wound and the door had just swung open, revealing her concerned brother. His frown only deepened when he noticed her bleeding temple and the scratches on her face. "What happened?" he asked, his voice choking on the words as she moved past him and into the kitchen.

"Some guy attacked me," Melody said nonchalantly, opening the fridge and scrounging around for something to eat.

"Jesus Christ Mel! Are you ok?" Ethan said, keeping his voice low so as not to wake up their mother.

"Yeah," Mel said indifferently, opening up a carton of milk and pouring it into a glass and then removing a plate full of food that was left over from dinner.

"Well what happened?" Ethan asked, looking at her strangely as she appeared unfazed by the whole attack.

"I stabbed him in the knee and then ran…" Melody said, grabbing her plate of food and pushing it into the microwave.

Ethan's jaw dropped. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, but she just ignored him and watched her food heat up. Frustrated, he paced back and forth and then left the kitchen all together. She shrugged it off and started to eat her dinner. She had barely taken a bite when he suddenly appeared, a bottle of peroxide and a rag in hand.

"Nurse Ethan…" she stated with a nod of acknowledgement, cracking a grin a moment later.

"Now there's definitely something wrong with you," Ethan said, but he couldn't help but grin back at his little sister. She had a smile that could cure world hunger if it was thrown the right way. "But seriously.." he started as he sat down, opening the bottle and pouring out some peroxide onto a rag, "what did this guy look like?"

Melody elicited a yelp as the wet rag stung at the wound on her temple. "Be careful!" she said, swatting his arm away and then pouting at him.

"Alright alright, but no more hitting me…" he said with a small laugh, cleaning up the rest of the small scratches that littered her face. "But really Mel, what did he look like…"

"Older," she started, wincing again as the rag touched her scratches. "A bit bigger and I didn't see his face…" she said. Ethan nodded, looking unhappy at the news of her not seeing his face, but she couldn't blame him. Melody finished her food after Ethan was satisfied with her cleaner looking face and she watched him as he sat there, arms crossed and deeply engrossed in thought.

"Don't kill every older stoutly looking man you see…" she joked, getting up with her empty plate and kissing him on the forehead. She threw the plate in the dishwasher and gave him a brief smile. "I'll see you in the morning…" she smiled a bit sadly and left quietly as her brother didn't even offer her a good night.


	9. Late Night Calls and A Bargain

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon**

**Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

**Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon**

**Josephine "Gip" Miller**

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

Evelyn "Hades" Swanson

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano 

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

**Brach "Bumlets" Williams**

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi

Liz "Maverick" Connors

Anne "Eire" Foley 

Kyle "Ice" Romana

Belle "Stagey" Malone

Jack "Cowboy" Kelly

Oscar Delancey

Peter "Dutchy" Nelson

Catherine "Marsh" Romana

Bailey "Irish-Flare" Cadler

Kristen "Brownie"

Nicole "Jittery" Rullier

Taylor "Pie-Eater" McManus

**Christopher "Vice" Miller**

The dark gloom of the moss covered graveyard surrounding Melody made a shiver creep up her spine. She looked upwards towards the sky and saw that dark clouds hung over the dreary, endless plot of land that was littered with gravestones. Her feet carried her forward, cautiously; as if the dead bodies lying below the ground would suddenly come to life if she didn't tread lightly enough.

Headlights coming from an unseen source shone upon a single grave. _Charity Conlon _was what the worn off engraved words read. Moss covered the words that lay beneath her name. Melody leaned over to brush off the moss. The green plant crumbled off of the gravestone and Melody's eyes widened in fright as her eyes traced over the words: **_May her soul haunt this world forever._**

As Melody stepped backwards, a phone appeared at her feet, the cord streaming out from beneath the earth. It shook as it rang and the sound increased with each step Melody took backwards. The graveyard around her began to dim and soon the softness of her bed and pillows replaced the chilly night air and the ringing of the phone became louder.

Sleepily, Melody felt for her black cordless phone and hit the answer button. "Hello?" she answered in a gruff, tired voice, opening her eyes and searching for her glasses.

"Mel, its Jo, can you pick me up?" Jo's voice was a hoarse whisper and it was easy to tell she had been crying.

Finding her glasses, Mel squinted at the clock. 4:02 am. "Jo, what happened?" she asked, tossing off her covers and feeling blindly for her pants on hoody.

"I'll tell you when you get here, meet me at the end of the block like last time," the tone went dead before Melody could even say good-bye.

Melody flicked on the light and tossed the phone on her bed. Pulling on her pants, she grabbed at her hoody, zipping it up over the black tank top she had worn to bed. She shut off her light as she swung open her bedroom door. Ethan stood sleepily in the door of his own room, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "What's going on Mel?" he asked.

"I have to pick up Jo," she said, grabbing the keys to the Honda off the hook. She was suddenly aware of the shower running in the background and glanced towards the bathroom. "I'll be back before Mom leaves, don't worry…" Melody shot a look at Ethan as she spoke, pausing at the end of the hall to wait for his response.

"I'll cover for you," Ethan said, stifling a yawn. Even though it hadn't happened in a while, they were used to Jo's late night calls and many nights spent at their house. Jo's abusive father sometimes caught her sneaking in late at night, trying to avoid his wrath and only getting hurt more because of it. That's when most of her calls came.

Melody left quickly, starting up the old car and speeding down the street as fast as the car would go. It didn't take more than three minutes to get to the corner where they were to meet. There was no sign of her as Melody placed the car into park and locked the doors, trying to keep alert. She turned off the car and the dead silence of night set in.

Curling up against the seat, Melody willed her eyes to stay open, but it wasn't long before she was fast asleep. A tapping on the window and someone's frantic murmuring awake her and seeing Jo's tear-stained face; she quickly leaned over and opened the passenger's side. "Drive," was all Jo said once she was inside, pulling her green army bag behind her before quickly shutting the door.

Melody turned the key in the ignition and the fierce coughing sound of her engine sputtered as she shifted into drive. She would have turned on the radio, but all of the speakers were blown, so the quiet sobs coming from Jo were only covered by the noisy engine.

"You ok?" Melody braved to ask as she pulled into the parking lot, thankful her mother wasn't outside yet; she knew how Jo felt about other people seeing her cry.

Jo shook her head, opening the door and brushing the tears off of her cheeks before getting out. Melody followed, leading her up the stairs and sneaking quietly back into her room, shutting the door behind Jo. She walked over to her beat-up stereo and turned on some Marilyn Manson, keeping the volume fairly low.

Jo had thrown her bag to the ground and had lain down, curled up in a ball on the full-size bed that took up half of Melody's room. Mel sat on the edge of the bed, watching her friend cry. "Talk to me Jo.." she pleaded.

Without saying a word, Josephine pulled her red t-shirt up, revealing a large bruise that was still forming across her stomach. "Jesus Christ Jo!" Melody said, staring at the large bruise and then looking back up at her. "You need to see a doctor!"

Jo just shook her head, pulling her shirt back down and trying to stop her tears to talk. "You know I can't do that…You know they'll find out if I do…" she said, avoiding Melody's eyes. "It was Chris this time…" the words came out soft and frightened.

"W-what?" the question stumbled out of Melody's mouth in disbelief. "I'll fucking kill the bastard!"

Jo just shook her head. "Mel, just let it alone, I'll go see the nurse at school like always…" Jo said, hoping that by saying that she would make everything better and calm her best friend down.

Melody shook her head and held herself back from slamming her already bruised fist into a wall again. "It just kills me to see them hurting you Jo…" she managed to say, inhaling a sharp breath and trying not to cry herself. It was so infuriating to just stand by and let her best friend get hurt like this over and over again.

It was evident from her silence that Josephine was done talking, and a long yawn sounded from her spot on the bed. Jo patted the empty spot on the bed next to her and Mel flicked off the light and crawled into bed with her clothes still on. "Just a few more months Mel," her voice was soft and barely decipherable below the soft music.

"Chicago right?" Mel asked, curling up to her friend and giving her a quick hug good night.

"I heard it's a little warmer there…" Jo said through a big yawn.

Melody chuckled. "Yeah… we'll get a place together maybe…" she said, closing her eyes and letting her body give into much needed sleep.

Questions weren't asked in the morning, Ethan knew better than to ask Josephine anything, especially when it came to her home life. She might have told her secrets to Melody, but they weren't ever repeated and the only words she had spoken to him had never been nice ones. Sure he knew what was going on, there were all the signs of it and he also knew her brother Chris. They had gotten along in high school pretty well, but it didn't last after Chris had graduated, especially after all the moves he had made on Melody in the past. Ethan didn't put up with that for long, to say the least. That was one of the many secret reasons Jo was safe at their house, Chris was quite frankly scared shitless of Ethan now and he would have been the only one who came after her.

Mindless girl talk went on all morning, a cover-up that Ethan could see past, but quite frankly he was happy when they parted their ways at school. Melody and Josephine were very good at playing the stupid girl part when they wanted to.

Ethan went to his locker as the two girls headed towards the nurse's office. He knew Liz would tell him about it later when he stopped by. An unusual figure was standing next to his locker, a kid clad in overly expensive looking dress clothes, his long black hair kept neatly back behind his ears. A small smirk crept up on the boy's lips as Ethan approached.

"Ethan! Just the man I was looking for!" Brach said and looking at him quizzically as Ethan ignored him, opening his locker and grabbing a book. "Aw c'mon man, what's wrong with you today?" he asked as Ethan slammed his locker door shut.

It was enough to make Ethan's blood boil and he grabbed Brach by the front of his silky black dress shirt and slammed him against the locker he had been standing against moments before. "I'll tell you what's wrong, I heard from a little bird that you've been messing around with my sister…" he growled lowly.

Brach chuckled. "So that's why you're so pissed off…" he smirked as Ethan let go of him and brushed his shirt off.

"So you aren't going to deny it?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

Brach's grin widened. "Oh c'mon buddy, it's not like I banged her… we just messed around man, seriously, clothes on and everything," Brach said, holding his hands up in defense as Ethan raised his fist.

Ethan scowled and turned to walk away. "Hey hold up man!" Brach called after him. Ethan slowed his pace but didn't stop. "I got the stuff you asked for yesterday…" he said. "And if you let me take your sister to Vincenza's party tomorrow night I'll let you have it for free…"

Ethan's ears perked up at the word 'free'. He was working a good thirty hours a week trying to cover the expenses of his habits and anything free sounded good to him. "You can take her," Ethan said, turning his head as they walked together. "But if you try to lay her, I'm going to bash your skull in…" he said in a serious tone.

"Deal." Brach handed him a sheet of paper with a time and place on it and then disappeared into the crowd of rowdy teenagers consuming the bland white hallway. Ethan kicked himself mentally, but at least this time Melody could go on a real date and he trusted her to tell him if he tried anything. All in all, it was a good deal. Or at least he thought so.


	10. Surprises and more surprises

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon**

**Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon

**Josephine "Gip" Miller**

Matthew "Specs" Gordon

Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

**Evelyn "Hades" Swanson**

Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal

Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs

Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson

Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson

Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor

**Tobi "Shady" Jones**

Connor "Mush" Meyers

Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips

**Brach "Bumlets" Williams**

Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

**Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi**

Liz "Maverick" Connors

Anne "Eire" Foley

Kyle "Ice" Romana

Belle "Stagey" Malone

Jack "Cowboy" Kelly

Oscar Delancey

Peter "Dutchy" Nelson

**Catherine "Marsh" Romana**

Bailey "Irish-Flare" Cadler

**Kristen "Brownie"**

Nicole "Jittery" Rullier

Taylor "Pie-Eater" McManus

Christopher "Vice" Miller

After a long, perilous journey to the nurse's office and the avoidance of many of their friends, Melody and Josephine successful made it into the small office. After a close examination and the silent concerned looking nurse, they had their diagnosis. "Looks like you bruised your ribs… there's nothing you can really do about it, except let it heal, and take it easy," Nurse Liz said, moving away from the girls and grabbing a small pad on top of her desk.

The nurse scrawled out a note and gave it to Josephine as they were getting ready to leave. "Just give this to your gym teacher, if he asks just say you fell down the stairs…" she said, giving Jo a sad smile before rushing them out of her office as the first bell of the day rang. "Oh and Mel, ask your brother for the note I gave him yesterday, he said you needed it because you missed gym class," she called, waving as the two girls were whisked away into the torrent of oncoming bodies.

Melody took a side glance at her friend, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was thinking and feeling, but her mask was already up and 'happy' Jo was back for the day. The walk to their chemistry class wasn't far and they took their seats as the bell rang. A glare from old Mr. Anderson's face told Melody that she was due for a talking to after class. Science had never been her strong subject and missing yesterday was going to get her a tongue lashing from her crotchety old teacher.

Class went slowly and a notebook passed between the two girls. The last line before class ended read in purple scratchy words: Don't tell Matthew. Before Melody could reply back, the bell rang and Jo hurried out of class. The deep brown of the old man's eyes glared at her and the door shut behind the last student with a metallic 'thunk', making Mel imagine a jail cell closing around her.

"You're not going to pass this class Ms. Conlon if you don't show up more than twice a week," his voice was crisp with an exhausted meanness behind the words.

"I'm sorry sir," was Melody's weak response.

"Sorry's are not good enough Ms. Conlon. If you want to pass this class you ought to show a little more respect towards school. You won't get far in life if you start slacking off now," Mr. Anderson said gruffly. A slight, weary nod from Melody and he continued. "Now we have a test next week and three assignments due, I suggest you get them in on time. Is that clear?" he asked, bending down with a menacing frown planted over his aging, wrinkled face.

"Crystal clear," Melody replied.

A rough clearing of Mr. Anderson's voice and he nodded towards the door. "You're free to go," he said. As soon as the words rolled off his tongue, she flashed out the door without a second glance back. The man had a way of intimidating students, even in his old age and she tried to shrug it off as she hurried down the hall.

The day passed by slowly and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. In English the new teacher already had a substitute, something about the stomach flu. So the class dragged on and the doodling over Melody's notebook traveled from page to page, short fluent poetry spread around the notes she was supposed to be taking on a boring poem.

The freedom of the bell's harsh ring sent Melody flying into the hallway. She hoped to catch her brother before gym to grab the note, which she really didn't want to know how he got in the first place.

Gym was boringly normal as always, besides the weird rumors flying around about something on the news. Melody was in no mood to pay attention and received a once over from her gym teacher because of the small, but visible scratches on her face and the round bruise covering the knuckles of her hand. Not in the mood for questions, she gave a slight glare to the teacher and her mind wandered to her dear friend Jo during the remainder of the period.

Happy with the fact that she had also avoided her brother the rest of the period, she hopped off to lunch feeling a bit better. Of course lunch was when the real buzz of rumors pushed forth and suddenly all that people were talking about was the fact that Kristin wasn't in school and supposedly had run away.

Melody had heard enough by the time she had gotten and paid for her food and headed straight to Vincenza and Catherine who were waving people off left and right, their heads together and whispering over their food. She plopped her tray of food down next to them and took a seat, looking at them expectantly. "So do you know or do you not know?" she asked as she unwrapped the package that contained her cheeseburger. Like most people at school, Melody knew that Kristin's only close friends we're Catherine and Vincenza.

When neither of the girls answered, she took a bite of her cheeseburger, chewed and then swallowed before speaking again. "She seemed fine at practice yesterday…" she raised an eyebrow as she spoke and then took another bite of the burger. The two girls looked at each other and then back at Melody.

Vincenza was keeping silent; her eyes still wet with tears, so Catherine coughed ever so slightly and tucked her reddish brown hair behind her ears nervously as she finally spoke. "There were some problems at home…" Catherine shot a look at Vincenza who didn't give any signal to her to shut the hell up and so continued. "She never really talked about it much but there was definite signs…" she added after a moment of silence and shrugged at Melody.

Melody simply nodded. "Well maybe she'll call one of you two," she said in an assuring voice to Catherine, who seemed a bit choked up about the whole situation.

"Mel what the hell are you doing over there?" Evelyn called from across the lunchroom, waving at her friend and motioning to the one empty seat at the overflowing table of loud and rambunctious girls.

"Just make sure you guys tell the police or someone if she calls…" Melody said, wondering in the back of her mind if it would really do anyone any good. She sighed and got up, grabbing her tray and smiling at the girls. "Just let me know if she's okay… I'm going to miss her in soccer practice…" she said, which earned her a small, forced smile from Catherine. Taking that as a good-bye, she scooted past table after table and then squeezing into her saved seat.

"So is it true?" Tobi Jones couldn't help but peep up as Melody sat down looking semi-distraught.

"Yeah. It's true Tobi," Melody said with a sigh. "Brooklyn is fucked up isn't it?" The girls around her nodded their sympathies, most of them knowing a hard family life. Melody shook her head slightly and waved her hand as if waving away their worries. "Life goes on kids… life goes on…" and she forced a smile that got everyone back into their old spirits and soon enough there were arguments and stories being passed around the table again.

Evelyn patted her friend's back. "Cheer up Mel, we got a party to go to tomorrow night…"

"Speaking of parties…" a male voice sounded behind her and she groaned as she turned around to face the last person she wanted to see today: Brach Williams.

"Would someone tell the loser behind me I'm not interested anymore?" Melody groaned again as she faced forward and ignored him.

Evelyn chuckled. "Brach… I don't think dear Mel is up for talking today…" she said in an overly sweet and innocent voice. By this time, the whole table was watching as Melody pretended to be very interested in her food and glared as she heard the squeak of a chair being dragged next to her as Brach took a seat next to her.

"What do you want Brach? I'm trying to eat here…" Melody said, sounding annoyed. She didn't look at him, her eyes clouding over, turning from a vibrant blue to a grayish color.

"Why Melody!" Brach laughed, "I thought you liked me? I mean everyone in the school knows we've been seeing a bit more of each other lately." He risked putting a hand on her thigh which was instantly slapped away and he was at once given her full attention as she finally looked at him.

"What do you want?" Melody scowled, which caused Brach to laugh deeply again.

"To take you to the party tomorrow actually. You're brother already gave the okay, so I'll see you at seven?" Brach asked.

Her jaw drop and she stared at him blankly. "H-he… WHAT?" she stuttered.

"I'll see you at seven love… wear something sexy…" he gave her a wink and stood up, adjusting his silk black shirt and pushing his chair back.

She watched him walk away and shook her head. "Can you believe the fuckin' nerve of that bastard and my brother?" she scowled, her stomach tying in a knot and her face flushing as she found that all of her friends were staring at her. "Now I've lost my appetite…" she muttered, pushing her chair back and standing up, pushing the food in the middle of the table. "Enjoy… I'm outie…" she said, grabbing her bag and leaving them all to gape at her.

"Okay who wants to go after her?" Evelyn posed the question and when no one replied, she sighed inwardly and got her ass up to follow her friend.

-------------------

English was hell for Ethan. He couldn't concentrate and he wasn't even thinking dirty thoughts about the hottie next to him. Instead his mind was on a guy for once. Brach Williams. The guy that had marked up his sister's neck the other day and now he was letting the guy take her to a party. How stupider could he get?

He was close to hitting himself on the forehead in a literal sense when the bell rang. Brushing off a few friends, he headed towards his locker. Not knowing what made him stop in front of the teacher's lounge, his eyes flickered up at the half-blocked TV that was set on the news channel.

The door opened and the booming voice of the reporter echoed through the hallways, "This just in, earlier today a fight broke out at the Brooklyn Detention Center and three prisoners managed to escape. The police seem to be hot on their trail and say that they will soon be detained once again. If anyone spots any of these three men please notify the police immediately." The screen flashed the pictures one at a time, slowly.

Ethan's icy blue eyes widened as he recognized the man in the third picture. His jaw dropped and he whispered a fierce "no" under his breath. The man in that photo was his father.


	11. And it all comes out

_A/N: A long time waiting and now here it is: the 11th chapter of my glorious fic. I apologize for my lack of updating, for those who are on edge, waiting for the next part. Also, I hope you enjoy this terribly short chapter, full of wonderfulness. Hopefully I will be updating more often. I don't mind begging, pleading or groveling if you want more. So… without much more ado… _

**Characters in this part in BOLD**

**Ethan "Spot" Conlon, Melody "Bittersweet" Conlon**

Charity "Criss-Cross" Conlon**, Josephine "Gip" Miller**

Matthew "Specs" Gordon, Travis "Skittery" O'Connell

**Evelyn "Hades" Swanson**, Vinny "Ghost" Soprano

Crystal "Books" Sawyer – Tal, Amanda "Whisper" Conners

David "Davie" Jacobs, Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins

Michael "Sage" Dolson, Christina "Gin" Dolson

Jonathan "Gloves" Lawson, Mitchell "Kid Blink" Houge

Robin "Aisling" O'Conor, Tobi "Shady" Jones

Connor "Mush" Meyers**, Tiffany "Tiff" Phillips**

**Brach "Bumlets" Williams, **Marty "Crutchy" Gibson

Vincenza "Half-Pint" Bellachi, Liz "Maverick" Connors

**Anne "Eire" Foley**, Kyle "Ice" Romana

Belle "Stagey" Malone, Jack "Cowboy" Kelly

Oscar Delancey, Peter "Dutchy" Nelson

Catherine "Marsh" Romana, Bailey "Irish-Flare" Cadler

Kristen "Brownie", Nicole "Jittery" Rullier

Taylor "Pie-Eater" McManus, Christopher "Vice" Miller

* * *

The word 'audition' seemed to be upon everyone's lips. The drama kids flittered to and fro, confirming who was and who was not trying out. "Is Melody?" Tiff was asking Anne, who was silently staring off into space.

Tiff snapped her fingers and then was suddenly distracted by a cute boy waving to her. Of course it was that opportune time that Anne spoke beneath her breathe.

"What did you say?" Tiff asked, turning her attention back to Anne.

"No…" the word was just a smidge louder, making it barely audible over the noise of the hallway in which they stood.

"Where has that girl been anyways?" Tiff wondered aloud.

* * *

Melody was in the bathroom currently, kicking the hell out of the door to the stall. Thankfully, there was no one else in the vicinity. Well, except the one determined looking girl headed for it, but not one who was easily frightened.

"Mellie?" Evelyn's voice carried, echoing through the suddenly silent bathroom. Her head popped through the slightly propped open door and then the rest of her entered as she caught sight of her furious looking friend.

Melody's cheeks held a hint of red to them, her breath ragged and her eyes were dark green now, lined with angry tears. "That fucking asshole brother of mine…" she managed to speak, shaking her head as she rested her palms against the door she had been beating on just moments earlier.

"Are you alright?" her friend tried, stepping closer and outstretching her arm in comfort.

Melody shifted, facing her fully and leaning against the cold brick of the bathroom wall. "Yeah, I'm fucking fine…" she muttered, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She couldn't seem to shake the anger from her, nor the utter revulsion she felt towards the whole idiotic situation.

"You don't have to go y'know…" Evelyn tried, but she knew it wasn't quite true.

Melody simply scoffed at the remark and narrowed her eyes, forcing her friend's arm to finally drop to her side.

"Yeah I know…" Evelyn breathed out as she herself leaned against the wall, her shoulder flat against it and her body perpendicular to Melody's. "I don't know what to tell you though…"

Melody just shook her head again, letting it hit against the wall in defeat. "Goddamnit." Her friend nodded in agreement.

"Well, I can always stab him if he gets frisky right?" she joked to Evelyn who laughed half-heartedly.

"Don't worry girl, we'll all be there, all of us girls. We'll make sure to never leave you alone with him…" It was a comforting thought, making Melody nod a little and then sigh softly.

"I still think I want to deck my brother," she admitted, which elicited a real laugh from Evelyn.

"C'mon… you only have ten minutes before hellish Calculus," her friend chided, pushing off of the wall and dragging her from the bathroom. "Best to make the most of it huh?" Melody laughed and let her friend guide her back to the noisy lunchroom.

* * *

Although Ethan was the last person she wanted to see at the end of the day, he was the person moving towards her, pushing impatiently through the crowd. She hadn't noticed until, from the corner of her eye, she noticed Jo's eyes narrowing. "Guess who…" she muttered, nodding towards the serious looking boy bounded towards them.

Melody busied herself at her locker; shuffling books around and doing anything she could to ignore him. She was going to be calm about this, she wasn't angry anymore and she wasn't going to make a scene.

"Mel we need to talk…" his voice was husky and exasperated. From the corner of her eye, she could see a deep look of concern wrought upon his features, but she ignored it, as she was ignoring him.

Of course she couldn't ignore it when he grabbed her arm roughly and tugged her to face him. "Melody…" Piercing blue eyes forced her eyes sharply upward and she scowled.

"Leave me bloody well alone…" she whispered curtly, pulling her arm from his hold.

"We need to talk. Now." She hated when he spoke in that commanding, father-like voice.

"Fuck you Ethan. Go to bloody hell…" the words came out bolder and louder than she had wanted and found the attention of many lingering students turned upon them. Her cheeks reddened and her eyes narrowed at her brother.

The last bell rang, saving her from the embarrassment of too many eyes interested in their argument, and the redness in her cheeks slowly evaporated. Ethan took her suddenly by the arm again and pulled her down the hallway. Jo had taken too many seconds to realize what was happening, and the pair had disappeared into the crowd of students before she even attempt to help her friend.

Jo sighed to herself, gathering her friend's bag around her shoulder and shutting her locker. "Meet you in the locker room," she muttered to herself as if her friend could somehow hear her. "Fucking brothers…" she turned as she said that statement and headed towards the gym.

"What the hell is this about Ethan?" Melody sputtered, dragging her feet even though it did not slow him any. He didn't answer, but she knew from the sudden deepening of his scowl that he had heard her.

Ethan neither answered any of her prodding questions, her angry statements proclaiming what an asshole he was, nor her insistent remarks to go fuck himself and leave her the hell alone. In fact, he didn't stop dragging her down the winding hallways and corridors until he had found an empty classroom. He pushed her a bit roughly inside and shut the door behind him.

He hadn't quite expected the flailing fists that met him when he turned around and barely caught her wrists in time. "You fucking bastard, why the fuck would you tell Brach I'd go anywhere with him!"

Ethan scowled, trying hard to resist the urge to slap her across the face. Instead, he shook her arms roughly without letting them go. "Calm the hell down Mel," he spoke in a harsh undertone and his eyes were serious as she was forced to look at him.

His grip loosened and a sudden, unexpected sigh escaped his lips. "Our dad…" when he spoke these words, his voice trembled and Melody's eyes widened as he had caught her full attention.

"The jail… he's escaped…" She gaped at him, unable to speak for a long stretch of seconds, her jaw shifting as if trying to form exactly the right words. But in the end, her mouth shut again and she looked away, her body now trembling.

Instead of releasing her, he pulled his sister to him, wrapping her body in his arms and letting her bury her head in his chest. It was a protective, loving gesture and one that had not occurred for some years now. So it was not surprising when he felt his shirt begin to dampen. He stroked her hair and said nothing, knowing she was just as scared as he was.


End file.
